LION

HOME

NATIONAL PARKS AND GAMES RESERVES.

HISTORIC SITES

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

ANIMALS

ACCOMODATION

ATTRACTIONS AT THE COAST

MOMBASA

RIFT VALLEY

Lion is a big, powerful cat. It is probably the most famous member of the cat family. People are frightened by the lion's thundering roar and impressed by its strength and royal appearance. The lion is called the "king of beasts," and is a well-known symbol of both beauty and power.

Lions can live in cool climates and in the intense heat of semidesert areas. They do not like to live in thick forests. Most of them live in woodlands, grassy plains, and areas with thorny scrub trees. Lions live where they find a supply of food--deer, antelope, zebra, and other hoofed animals--and where they have a place to drink.

In ancient times, lions lived in Europe, the Middle East, India, and much of Africa. But human beings have killed thousands of lions as people settled in new areas. As a result, there are no more lions left in the Middle East and northern Africa. Only about 200 lions still live in Asia--all in the Gir Forest in India. Lions still live in the eastern part of central Africa and in southern Africa. But most of these lions live in national parks and areas called reserves, where the animals are protected from hunters.

The body of a lion

The lion and tiger are the largest members of the cat family. Lions are built for strength, not speed. A male lion usually weighs from 350 to 400 pounds (159 to 180 kilograms), but some weigh up to 500 pounds (230 kilograms). Most males are about 9 feet (3 meters) long from the nose to the end of the tail. They are about 31/2 feet (107 centimeters) tall at the shoulder. Lionesses (females) are smaller than males. They weigh only 250 to 300 pounds (113 to 140 kilograms) and are about 1 foot (30 centimeters) shorter.

Male lions are the only cats with manes. This collar of long, thick hair covers the head, except the face, and the neck down to the shoulders and chest. The mane makes the male look even bigger and stronger than he is. It also protects him during fights. The long, thick hair softens the blows of his foes. Young males have a little hair around their heads when they are about a year old. The mane is not fully grown until the animal is about 5 years old. Manes may be blond, brown, or black. Most are a mixture of these colors. They darken as the lion grows.

The lion's coat is ideal for hiding. It is a brownish yellow, the same color as dead grass. Only the back of the ears and the tuft of hair at the end of the tail are black. Cubs (young lions) have spots on their coats.

The shoulders and forelegs of the lion are tremendously muscular. They give the lion the strength to clutch its prey and pull it to the ground. Each big, heavy paw is armed with curved claws that hook and hold the prey. When not in use, each claw withdraws into a sheath in the paw so the claws stay sharp.

The lion has 30 teeth. The four large canine (pointed) teeth are used to hold the prey, kill it, and to tear the meat. Four cheek teeth called the carnassial teeth are for cutting through tough skin and the tendons that join muscles to bone. There are no teeth suitable for chewing. The lion swallows food in chunks.

The life of a lion

The lion is the most companionable of all cats. A pride (group) may include from 10 to 20 lions, or as many as 35. Each pride has from one to five adult males, several lionesses, and cubs. The members of the pride may not always be together. Some of the lions may hunt in one place, a few in another. But when they are reunited, they greet each other by rubbing cheeks.

Life within the pride is peaceful. Lions usually spend about 20 hours a day sleeping or resting. Cubs chase each other and wrestle. A lioness sometimes twitches her tail while one of her cubs tries to catch the tuft of hair at the end of the tail. Hungry cubs nurse on any lioness that has milk, not just their own mothers.

Lions usually walk about 5 miles (8 kilometers) in a day. If they have had a big meal, they may rest for 24 hours. But if they are hungry, they may travel as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) in search of food.

Habits. Each pride stays in a specific territory (area). The territory has food and water for the lions. Where prey is plentiful, the territory may cover about 15 square miles (39 square kilometers). Where prey is scarce, it may be 100 square miles (260 square kilometers).

Lions do not allow strange animals to hunt in their territory. They warn intruders to stay away by roaring or by squirting a mixture of scent and urine on bushes. The strangers then know that the territory is occupied. If they ignore the warnings, they may be killed.

Pride members stay together like a family for years, but changes occur from time to time. All male cubs are chased from the territory by their fathers when they are between 2 and 3 years old. These young males then wander until they are fully grown. Then they may challenge some pride males. If they win, they can take over the territory and the lionesses it contains. Lions in captivity die of old age at about 20 to 25 years.

Cubs. A lioness becomes an adult and mates with the pride males when she is from 3 to 4 years old. About 31/2 months later, her cubs are born in a thicket. The cubs are blind and helpless at birth, and weigh about 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) each. Lions do not have permanent dens. From time to time, the mother moves her cubs from one hiding place to another. She carries them in her mouth, one at a time. Hyenas, leopards, and even other lions may kill cubs while the mother is away hunting.

At first, the cubs live on milk. When they are about 11/2 months old, the mother leads them to an animal she has killed for their first meal of meat. The lioness usually does not have another litter until her cubs are 18 to 24 months old, old enough to hunt for themselves. Occasionally, a mother abandons her cubs. When food is scarce, the mother eats and lets the cubs starve. About half the cubs survive.

How a lion hunts

Lions have to kill to live. They prefer large prey--zebra, various kinds of antelope, buffalo, and warthog. But they will also eat fish, turtles, guinea fowl--anything they can catch. They eat animals that have died from disease, and even take prey from the cheetah.

The lion lives a life of feast or famine. It may not be able to catch an animal for perhaps a week. But it usually catches something to eat every three or four days. Then the lion stuffs itself. A male lion can eat 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of meat in one meal. After killing an animal, the lion often drags it to a shady spot. One lion can drag a 600-pound (270-kilogram) zebra, something that six people would find difficult to do. All members of the pride eat together, with much growling and snarling as each animal tries to get the "lion's share" of the meat.

Catching a large animal is not easy for the lion. Most of the animals it likes to eat can run faster than the lion, which has a top speed of about 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour. The lion must surprise its prey by stalking. Moving slowly, its body close to the ground, the lion creeps closer. When it is about 50 feet (15 meters) away, it rushes forward, grabs the rump, side, or head of the animal, and pulls it to the ground. Then it usually seizes the prey's throat in its mouth and strangles it.

Lions often hunt at night because they can surprise their prey more easily in the dark. Nature has equipped the lion well for this task. Its gold-colored eyes can see in the dark, and the lion has excellent senses of hearing and smell. Sometimes several lions hunt together. While several hide, others circle the prey and chase it toward the waiting lions that are crouched in the high grass. The male lions in the pride ordinarily let the lionesses do the hunting. But they kill for themselves when they find prey. Cubs learn to hunt by watching the adults.

Lions and people

Hunting lions. Whenever lions and people come into contact, the lion always loses. People have killed the lions in most of Asia and much of Africa. Lions kill cows, goats, and other livestock for food. And on rare occasions they kill people. So people killed lions to protect themselves and their property.

African lions have a much better chance for survival. Africa has many reserves where lions may not be shot. Hunters are still allowed to kill lions in certain areas, but they must have a special license. Most people would rather photograph lions than shoot them now.

The lion tries to avoid contacts with people. It rarely attacks people unless it is tormented or injured. For example, a person can be within 40 feet (12 meters) of lions in the Gir Forest without danger. People there seldom harm the lions. But when provoked, and particularly when wounded, the lion is a terrible foe.